The Stockholm Nonstop
08-29-2016, 09:39 AM
#21
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Nov 2013
Posts: 2,756
Originally Posted by White Cap
Great post. I especially like dark chapter about the evil union eunuchs patrolling the free dinner. Every story needs a boogeyman.
08-29-2016, 09:50 AM
#22
New Hire
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Aug 2016
Posts: 7
I was terrified. Still am sometimes. A healthy degree of terror is a good thing, brother.
However let me qualify the assumption: the regional was a western New York based company and none in the fleet had an autopilot. Half of it was unpressurized. No such thing as a flight director, either. Dude, that's combat. I flew a thousand both years. Prior to that, I had a couple of thousand of agricultural, banner tow and glider yanking. Some Beech 18 time. A little flight instruction for good measure. In fact, though the youngest in my class I was easily in the top 10 percent for raw experience. Certainly more than the fighter pilots. Passed up classes at Alaska and American to fly at the family Alma Mater. The old man had 250 hours and no multi engine rating when he went into the right seat of a DC-3. I know a guy who went into a B-26 with 175 hours as an aircraft commander, flew 193 combat missions in North Africa and lived to tell me about it. He said he was scared for half of it then just considered himself dead and it was almost tolerable.
I sound defensive. Sorry.
However let me qualify the assumption: the regional was a western New York based company and none in the fleet had an autopilot. Half of it was unpressurized. No such thing as a flight director, either. Dude, that's combat. I flew a thousand both years. Prior to that, I had a couple of thousand of agricultural, banner tow and glider yanking. Some Beech 18 time. A little flight instruction for good measure. In fact, though the youngest in my class I was easily in the top 10 percent for raw experience. Certainly more than the fighter pilots. Passed up classes at Alaska and American to fly at the family Alma Mater. The old man had 250 hours and no multi engine rating when he went into the right seat of a DC-3. I know a guy who went into a B-26 with 175 hours as an aircraft commander, flew 193 combat missions in North Africa and lived to tell me about it. He said he was scared for half of it then just considered himself dead and it was almost tolerable.
I sound defensive. Sorry.
08-29-2016, 11:43 AM
#25
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2014
Posts: 3,091
What a great post and thread. I agree partially with the OP. I too feel somewhat stifled by the airline seniority system. Especially at the larger company I am now, I feel I make no difference on the lives of our fellow crew members and passengers. I'm just a cog in the machine. I could perform to the best of my ability and receive no career bumps because of it. I also feel a little disheartened to realize that someone just like me is waiting on the list to fly my trip should I not do it. Our pay is artificially high because of strong arm union tactics, not because we are actually a highly compensated profession like medical or IT professionals.
Most people use this as a job to pay bills, their bills growing steadily as income increases. Instead I use the job and money from it to create a sustainable life I can keep living should the job go away. With the pay at the major level one can acquire significant assets in a fairly short period of time, what would take an average American a lifetime to do. All of the issues from years past stemmed from people who didn't plan for the worst when the times were good.
Most people use this as a job to pay bills, their bills growing steadily as income increases. Instead I use the job and money from it to create a sustainable life I can keep living should the job go away. With the pay at the major level one can acquire significant assets in a fairly short period of time, what would take an average American a lifetime to do. All of the issues from years past stemmed from people who didn't plan for the worst when the times were good.
08-29-2016, 12:22 PM
#27
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Nov 2013
Posts: 2,756
Originally Posted by Name User
What a great post and thread. I agree partially with the OP. I too feel somewhat stifled by the airline seniority system. Especially at the larger company I am now, I feel I make no difference on the lives of our fellow crew members and passengers. I'm just a cog in the machine. I could perform to the best of my ability and receive no career bumps because of it. I also feel a little disheartened to realize that someone just like me is waiting on the list to fly my trip should I not do it. Our pay is artificially high because of strong arm union tactics, not because we are actually a highly compensated profession like medical or IT professionals.
.
.
I am grateful every day I get to do this job, "whilst" flying between "aerodromes".
I make a crapload of money doing it, and I don't care whatsoever that it's not because of my awesome flying skills, but because of union negotiations. Times are good now. Enjoy them "whilst" you can.
08-29-2016, 04:14 PM
#29
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2009
Position: Fetal
Posts: 1,148
Originally Posted by likenotomorow
I was terrified. Still am sometimes. A healthy degree of terror is a good thing, brother.
However let me qualify the assumption: the regional was a western New York based company and none in the fleet had an autopilot. Half of it was unpressurized. No such thing as a flight director, either. Dude, that's combat. I flew a thousand both years. Prior to that, I had a couple of thousand of agricultural, banner tow and glider yanking. Some Beech 18 time. A little flight instruction for good measure. In fact, though the youngest in my class I was easily in the top 10 percent for raw experience. Certainly more than the fighter pilots. Passed up classes at Alaska and American to fly at the family Alma Mater. The old man had 250 hours and no multi engine rating when he went into the right seat of a DC-3. I know a guy who went into a B-26 with 175 hours as an aircraft commander, flew 193 combat missions in North Africa and lived to tell me about it. He said he was scared for half of it then just considered himself dead and it was almost tolerable.
I sound defensive. Sorry.
However let me qualify the assumption: the regional was a western New York based company and none in the fleet had an autopilot. Half of it was unpressurized. No such thing as a flight director, either. Dude, that's combat. I flew a thousand both years. Prior to that, I had a couple of thousand of agricultural, banner tow and glider yanking. Some Beech 18 time. A little flight instruction for good measure. In fact, though the youngest in my class I was easily in the top 10 percent for raw experience. Certainly more than the fighter pilots. Passed up classes at Alaska and American to fly at the family Alma Mater. The old man had 250 hours and no multi engine rating when he went into the right seat of a DC-3. I know a guy who went into a B-26 with 175 hours as an aircraft commander, flew 193 combat missions in North Africa and lived to tell me about it. He said he was scared for half of it then just considered himself dead and it was almost tolerable.
I sound defensive. Sorry.
Dude, that's some tough flying, but it is most certainly not combat. It's not even combat in quotes.
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